High-speed machines with lubrication systems typically have a drain sump for receiving lubricant after the lubricant has been ejected from a rotating component. Some systems have a scavenge pump to move the lubricant from the drain sump to a supply sump from which a supply pump can supply pressurized lubricant back to the component. Alternatively, the drain sump and supply sump can be combined and the scavenge pump can be eliminated. If the lubricant fails to move to the drain sump quickly enough due to high momentum flow away from the component and/or windage forces caused by high speed rotating components, the supply sump can run low on lubricant and thus starve the lubricated component from necessary lubricant. One way to solve this problem is to design lubrication systems with a large lubricant reservoir, but the drawback with such designs is increased weight and space claim penalties associated therewith.
It would be advantageous to design lubrication systems that minimize total system size or space claim in machines such as engines, motors, turbo-machines, superchargers, transmissions and the like. The present invention provides novel and non-obvious additions to the technology associated with lubrication systems.